Edwards said that as soon as she gets a copy of the license, the 35-year-old Patterson can start working on cases for the county. Currently, the coroner is taking bodies to Bloomington for autopsies.

“I hope to be up and going as soon as we can,” Edwards said of Patterson’s addition.

Edwards announced plans to hire Patterson in October.

Later that month, the Illinois Times published a story documenting Patterson’s past problems with alcohol and multiple arrests between 1996 and 2001.

The Times article cited public documents in Texas that indicated the arrests included three for possession alcohol as a minor, three for public intoxication, one for disorderly conduct and one for battery/resisting arrest. The last arrest occurred before Patterson’s junior year in college, and he went on to graduate from the University of the Caribbean Medical School in 2007.

A document filed with the Texas Medical Board in 2009 indicated that Patterson successfully completed an outpatient treatment program and signed a document that he would undergo random drug screenings and attend 12-step meetings.

Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Financial &Professional Regulation, said Thursday the agency’s director has to approve the Illinois Medical Licensing Board’s recommendation before a license can be issued.

Whenever disciplinary action is taken in another state, the Illinois regulatory board takes a closer look at the application, according to Hofer. The closer examination can result in a delay in a license being issued, she said.

Hofer said she does not know when the director might make a final decision on Patterson’s Illinois medical license. She added that she could not comment on any recommendation made by the licensing board.

Patterson has already moved to Springfield, Edwards said, and is ready to start working.

Edwards, whose campaign in 2012 included a pledge to try and bring on a board-certified forensic pathologist, said the doctor was forthcoming about his past legal issues during the interview, and she talked to people in Texas who were aware of the situation and gave him a good recommendation.

“Dr. Patterson is a wonderful young man. He’s very bright,” Edwards said. “He is going to do a good job.”